Jennifer Garner Offers Some Diet Tips

Jennifer Garner and her longtime trainer, Valerie Waters, spoke to OK! magazine about how she’s keeping fit and enjoying her pregnancy at the same time. Expecting her second child in December, Jennifer is already mom to Violet, who turns 3 December 1st.

“Right now, I just want to feel good and strong the whole way through this pregnancy and be able to bounce back,” Jen says.

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Jennifer tries to work out four or five times a week,

“The only thing you can do is do it before the day starts,” Jen explains. “I know that it’s brutal, but believe me, I am pregnant and I am a tired mama. But you have to do it. I have different goals for myself at different times. Right now I really just want to feel great so I’m trying to work out four to five days a week. I get motivated by saying, ‘Okay, I’ve done three at the beginning of the week, I’m just going to get these in so I can take the weekend off.’”

Jennifer follows the Red Carpet Ready program, detailed in her trainer’s book, Red Carpet Ready. The workouts are never the same, alternating days of cardio with days of strength training, and the workouts are only 30 minutes long. But not even a celebrity can always stick with the plan, especially when they’re pregnant and craving sweets!

“At every meal I pretty much have desert, but not a lot, just one little square of chocolate.”

The diet also focuses on eating lots of small meals throughout the day, avoiding processed foods, and controlling portions.

“I pretty much follow what Valerie says, she has so much to teach. I want to feel great after my workout, not like I need to lie down. I don’t want to get super skinny like the chicks in L.A. do – but to feel like myself. So far so good!”

Jen also shared some food tips:

Give in to cravings: “It took me years to learn to just have a couple of bites. Once I started I would gobble it all up. Now I can open a tub of ice cream and just have a bite.”

Don’t deprive: “I can’t not have carbs. If I’m going to have potatoes, I’ll have sweet potatoes, and I won’t fry them.”

Stay in control: “Ben keeps me really strict. But I cook a lot and control what we eat.”

Smaller portions: “If I have to have pasta, I’ll have a big salad at a restaurant and then an appetizer size of pasta for dinner, never with cream.”